From Chapter 2:   “What’s in a Story?” from the book The New Old Gods by Richard Hartnett, H. W. M.

“White shadow happens when we glorify or elevate others to a God-like status.  We see these people as being able to express attributes we feel are beyond our capacities.  “I could never sing like that…”etc.  Here, the attribute expressed is something we hold in highest regard.  More than anything, we wish we could express the attribute with the same skill.  Because of this adoration, those who are able to express it are elevated in a way that makes them superior: we make them into stars.  That may seem innocent enough, but what is toxic about this is that we are disowning something that we can and should claim for ourselves.  We are minimizing ourselves rather than empowering ourselves.  IT is self-negating to believe that an attribute is totally beyond our capability.  Those who are worshiped may express the attributes in a positive way, but they are still carrying our projection, and we use them as a way of avoiding claiming it for ourselves.  This is dangerous territory, for some idols become drunk on the projected power they are given and soon lead their followers into ruin and disaster.  Examples of this would be David Koresh, Jim Jones and Adolph Hitler. . . .

Just as we disown parts of ourselves, we disown parts of the divine. . . .

White shadow happens with the divine, when we give away our capacity to deal with life challenges. . . .

[W}e must always accept our responsibility to try and do something rather than be victims.

(Submitted by Hanz Bolen, H.W., M.)